Bridges
by nightowl4829
Summary: Do you ever have one of those days where you have to stop and wonder if there's a gas leak in your house, or maybe you slipped and fell into a coma and it was all just a really bad dream? Adrianna has. Set after the movie, rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

Adrianna smiled up at the clouds as she turned the volume up on her iPod. It was a beautiful day in the middle of fall, or at least, she thought it was beautiful. She loved overcast, rainy days and especially loved winter, when snow blanketed the ground. For now, she could make do with a breezy cloudy day as she went for a walk on the secluded bike path behind her house. The trees were just starting to change color and it was so peaceful out. She had waited until it was mid morning when no one else would be out.

Ria was supposed to be inside working on a paper for her English class, but it was too tempting outside. She would work on it later when she was supposed to be having a girl's night with Cassie and Jen. They would probably kill her but it wasn't like they would be doing much anyway. They were settling in for a Marvel movie marathon tonight, complete with the new _Avengers_ DVD.

She rolled her eyes at the thought. There was a ninety percent chance they would be reduced to bickering over their favorite character, as always. Cassie had a thing for Loki, calling him the misunderstood, tragic figure that "just needs a hug". Jen would proceed to mock her and say that Iron Man could take him any day. Ria could see the valid points of all the characters; she even understood the whole "Loki is misunderstood" argument, but personally, she liked the Captain. Not that it mattered, anyway; none of them were real, and the chances of meeting Chris Evans or Tom Hiddleston was about the same as winning the lottery…in a different country.

Someone tapped on Ria's shoulder. It startled her out of her thoughts and she jumped as she turned around and pulled out her headphones. She hadn't thought anyone else was around, but there was a middle aged man right next to her.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you," the man said with an amused expression. "I was just wondering if you could help me with a question."

Ria eyed the man; something was very off here. He was in dress clothes...on a bike path. There wasn't anything around here but woods; the nearest road that intersected was a quarter mile back, and that wasn't even near the town, which was another mile and a half away.

"How can I help you," she asked warily as she took a discreet step away from the man.

She had only taken basic self defense classes at the Y with her friends, but the man didn't look like he was in the prime of his life. She figured she would be able to get a good hit in and then run. She thought back to the pepper spray and taser gun her dad bought her as a moving out present. Why hadn't she thought to bring them?

"I was just wondering," he said as he paused thoughtfully, looking at her. "Is your name Adrianna Nicole Moore?"

The blood drained from her face. She tried to turn away to run, but his hand shot out and grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip that was unexpected. Immediately, there was a giant pulsing blue light formed to her right. Ria closed her eyes against the brightness as she felt herself get tugged into the light, which felt like a gaping hole. She fought back a scream as her feet left the solidity of the ground, and then reconnected a few moments later.

Her heart pounding, she opened her eyes as she twisted her arm out of the man's grasp. She tentatively rubbed her wrist as she backed away from the man. It was brighter out then it had been, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Then she realized why; the trees that had been surrounding her were replaced by buildings. The skyscrapers of New York City loomed over her everywhere she looked.

"Let the girl go, Tyr," someone called out.

Ria focused on detail a little more at this point. They were in a relatively empty location behind some buildings. The man, Tyr she guessed, was standing about five feet away from her, and there was some sort of surreal force field looking thing made of swirling LED lights. Behind that she could see…

"Oh no," Ria breathed. Then she got louder, shaking her head and yelling at Tyr. "No, no, no, no. I don't know what the hell you did, but fix it. Now. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not going to be a part of it. Put me back."

Tyr simply chuckled at her outburst. Apparently he thought this was all freaking amusing, which was starting to make Ria mad despite her fear of the situation. There was just no way this was happening.

"Oh, I have put you back, _Anika_," Tyr sneered at her. She heard a gasp echo through the square, but she stayed focused on Tyr.

"Um, I think you have me confused with someone else. I'm not Anika, my na-," she started.

"I know who you are," he cut her off. "You're name is Adrianna Nicole Moore, twenty years of age, attending Illinois State University, and you live at 2102 Pine Lane in a town house you share with two other girls."

Again, Ria went pale. This man was stalking her, and now she was…here. She couldn't even think the words, it was too surreal.

"But before that, you were called Anika, daughter of Odin and Frigga of Asgard, youngest of their children. You were taken as an infant, and sent to an alternate dimension of this realm, where these tales are no more than bedtime stories," he continued.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm going to make this clear: I'm. Not. Anika. You need someone else, or professional help for that matter-"

"Insolent girl," he snapped and reached out to strike her across the face. As soon as his hand came near, she blocked it with her forearm and then swept her leg out to catch his right behind his kneecap, sending him sprawling to the ground. She tried to get out of reach, but his hand ensnared her ankle and he twisted it, painfully.

Ria made not a sound as she fell. Almost as soon as she hit the ground she was in the air again. Tyr wrapped one hand in a death grip around her neck, holding her dangling above the cement.

"Let her go," a voice roared. Thor, she was pretty sure it was Thor. Ria wrapped her hands around Tyr's arm, trying to keep him from collapsing her trachea like a bendy straw. She looked right into his eyes, and he stared back in a hateful glare.

Something inside Ria had shifted. She wasn't scared; she was angry. This man had dragged her into this insanity and was now going to kill her. She wanted him to feel pain and returned his glare with equal rage.

Suddenly his eyes changed; the hatred there turned into a pained expression as he dropped her, collapsing to the ground himself with a small cry. Ria landed more or less on her feet and slightly unsteady. She continued to glare at the man on the ground before her.

Tyr let out a small chuckle from his spot on the concrete. "And so the princess has returned. I hope you enjoy your family reunion. It won't last long," he said with a grin as he disappeared into thin air.

Ria stayed standing where she was, still staring at the spot where he had disappeared. This couldn't be happening to her. Things like this didn't happen. There was surely a logical explanation for it. Suddenly she was enfolded in a giant hug. All she could see was the metal armor pressed up against her face, seeing as how she was only chest height to them.

"Anika, can it be you," Thor's words came to her muffled from where she was awkwardly trapped in his hug.

"Can't breathe," she mumbled. She was immediately let go and then held at arm's length. Okay, he looked _exactly_ like Chris Hemsworth. There was something very wrong here.

"I'm really sorry," Ria said, "but I'm not whoever you think I am. I'm just…me. My name is Adrianna, not Anika. You have me confused."

"Of course not," Thor exclaimed. "You are my sister."

"Right. Because evil villains _never _have hidden agendas," she replied sarcastically. She couldn't help it; if she didn't resort on some form of humor she would have to seriously focus on the situation and she didn't want to risk having some sort of mental breakdown from all of this.

"It is not just because Tyr claimed it. I can see that it is true. You are a rightful daughter of Odin," Thor said.

"No, I'm not," Ria protested.

"How else would you explain the magic you used," Loki asked. She hadn't noticed him there, but he was with the Avengers and they weren't attacking so she assumed he must be on their side, somehow.

"That was…I don't have to explain myself to you," she said as she turned away from the group. It looked like the original six members of the Avengers and Loki were all there. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find some ruby slippers to take me home."

"Anika, you are in danger-," Thor argued.

"Stop calling me that," Ria snapped as she turned back. She had gained a good twenty foot distance from him, and the rest of the Avengers were even further. "I'm not your sister, and I don't belong here. So now, I'm going home and I'm going to pretend that this never happened."

She was getting a major headache. In truth, she had no clue what the hell happened when Tyr was forced to let go of her, and she didn't want to know either. She just wanted this all to go away; it was like a bad dream. She wanted to wake up in her own bed, forget that it all happened.

Another bright blue light formed in the corner of her vision and she recognized it from before. Without thought she dove into it, disregarding the shouts from the people around her. Thor reached the spot just as the portal faded away, his hand closing around nothing but air.

"Loki, reopen the portal," Thor shouted as he joined him.

"I can't open it without knowing where it went to," Loki said exasperated. "You cannot just recreate the laws of magic. I have to know where the portal leads to in order to create it."

"There's nothing you can do," Steve asked as the rest of the Avengers surrounded the spot. It was more of an accusation; most of the team still had reservations about allowing Loki to work with them, no matter how much help he would be against the new sorcerer they were facing.

"I did not say that," Loki responded with a glare. "If we had something of hers, a possession she had touched, I could create a spell to take us to her."

Natasha held up a pair of white headphones. "These fell off of her when she hit the ground. Will they work?"

Loki eyed the headphones. "I suppose they shall. I'll need several hours to prepare the spell."


	2. Chapter 2

Ria sat up in bed, her heart pounding. Was that really all a dream? She looked down at herself; still in her shorts and tank top from her walk, with shoes on even. Did that mean it was real? No, there were plenty of excuses. It could have been some weird hallucination brought on by stress from college, or a gas leak or something. Whatever it was, she didn't want a repeat. Ever. Sure, she loved the Marvel universe…when it was a movie. It would be nice to meet Chris Evans in person, but Captain America? Not so much. Not when it meant alternate dimensions and people trying to kill her.

She shook her head in a vain attempt to get her brain restarted and stretched. Her clock now said it was one. Time really had passed; it had been ten when she started out. She checked her phone for any messages and found a few texts. Cassie had sent her a text about picking up some junk food for tonight.

_I'm not sure that I'll be able to hang out much tonight. I have a paper to work on,_ Ria texted her back. Not only did she have to work on her paper, but the idea of having a Marvel marathon was completely unappealing now. She decided it was time to back off of all of the Avengers stuff and focus on school; that dream, or whatever it was, was really creeping her out.

Her phone pinged almost instantly. She went to open the text back from Cassie. _Um…too bad, so sad. We've planned this for a while, so Jen and I are just going to hog tie you to a chair. This is happening. Oh, and don't forget the fruit snacks. ;)_

One trip to the store later made it about two in the afternoon and Ria thankfully sat down to enjoy her last bit of piece before Jen got off work at five. After that Cassie would get home and the house would become a mandatory girls' night.

Ria sighed as she pulled open her laptop and settled into a comfy spot on the couch. She loved writing, even for assignments, but her heart wasn't in it today. Instead she was focused on the events of the morning and wondering about her sanity. She pulled up her playlist on her computer; music normally helped focus her thoughts. Reaching into her pocket, she couldn't find her headphones.

Frowning, Ria went through her purse: no headphones. She had them with her this morning, didn't she? She was listening to her iPod and then…never mind. At this point she would rather just go out and buy new headphones. However, she did retrieve her pepper spray and taser gun before she returned to her seat on the couch. It was reassuring to have them there, hidden under a cover.

Relaxing with her music playing quietly in the background she began to type. Ria was about two pages into a word document when she heard a knock on the door. She glanced at the clock on her laptop. It was about 3:30, so she figured it was probably UPS or something. Jen's mom had a tendency to send care packages full of junk food and house supplies every week or so.

Ria got up from her spot on the couch and went into the foyer to answer the door. She hastily undid the lock and pulled the door partially open. Then she saw who it was.

Standing in front of her door was Thor and Loki, in full armor no less. She squeaked and moved to slam the door shut, but it was blocked by Thor's foot. Ria quickly gave that up and ran back into the living room to grab her cell phone and the taser gun. She whipped around to see both men standing in the doorway to the room.

"Look, I don't know what's going on here but you have exactly five seconds to leave," Ria said in a firm voice that did not betray her inner confusion and fear.

"We're trying to save you," Thor told her while holding up his palms in a gesture of surrender. His mistake was taking a step forward. Ria raised the taser gun and prepared to use it. She had never actually used it before, but figured now was a pretty good time to find out.

"Take one step closer, I dare you," Ria told him. In the back of her head an absent thought registered that it wouldn't be the first time Thor had a taser used on him, if the movie was correct.

"We mean you no harm," Loki said from behind Thor. "Would you not like to know why your life is in danger? I promise that we shall give you answers. You must be curious as to what happened this morning."

Ria eyed him warily. It was one thing to accept him as the misunderstood character in a movie, but when someone has just trespassed into your living room it's a different matter entirely. However, she did like the idea of understanding what the hell was going on. They could see her considering it in her head.

"Please, just give us ten minutes of your time. If you do not find our answers satisfactory then you can resume your…," Loki seemed at a loss for words as he vaguely gestured to the taser in her hands, "threatening?" He tacked the word on with a raised eyebrow. Ria vaguely wondered if 18 watts applied to his neck would wipe off his smug expression. He was a god, after all. How much would a taser affect him? Enough to make a decent run for it or call the cops?

Ria was still debating it. If she refused to listen, they were still two large men who could overpower her. Plus, they had enhanced strength, could summon thunder and lightning, and could perform magic. Trying to make a run for it without a plan probably wouldn't end well. She looked the two over; neither of them had any weapons out, and both had open expressions. Thor actually looked a little like a pouting puppy. Loki appeared to be talking in earnest, but she knew his expressions meant nothing. Lying was second nature to him.

"Fine," she sighed as she lowered the taser. "You have _five_ minutes, and if I don't like what you have to say I'm kicking you out." She added a nice little glare in there as well. If they thought they were going to intimidate her they had another thing coming. No way was she going to appear weak. She went back to her seat on the couch but kept the taser resting on her lap as a not-so-subtle reminder, which both men eyed.

If this ended badly, should the girl, Anika, his sister, not go with them willingly then Loki was prepared to act. He would grab her before she knew what was happening, knock aside the toy she called a weapon, and transport them all back to the Avenger's tower. He did not have time for her to "come to terms" as Thor had put it. There was immediate danger and he was prepared to act. This was Thor's ridiculous plan in the first place. Had he listened to Loki, they would have simply opened a portal directly to the girl and pulled her inside before she could get her wits about her, and then seal off her magic so she could not escape again.

Thor was beside himself at the thought of finding their younger sister. It brought their family back together and made it whole to have her back. He was sure the girl sitting before him was his sister, though she had been but an infant when she disappeared. There was something about her, and her magic was similar to an Asgardian's. It was improbable that a normal mortal would be so gifted.

"Your name," Thor started, "was Anika. You are my younger sister, a royal princess of Asgard born to King Odin and Queen Frigga. When you were but a month old there was an attack on Asgard. While everyone was focused on defending them off, you were taken from your crib. They crept through the castle walls like ghosts and stole you from your nursery before anyone became wiser. We thought you lost for a long time, but here you are!"

Ria leaned forward and put her head in her hand. She was starting to get a headache from all of this. It was completely illogical. This was a movie, not real life. Yet here they were, sitting around her living room where she had sat with Cassie and Jen and watched _Thor_ over and over. On top of that, Thor talked a little loud.

"I'm sorry, this is insane," Ria said. "You can't expect me to believe that I'm long lost royalty. I mean, that is the start of every bad scam that exists."

"We are not _charlatans_ here to deceive you," Loki said in an annoyed tone.

"Just go pick some other girl to be a part of this," Ria said in a matching tone. She may have been antagonizing him a little, but she was tired of this…whatever this was.

"You were not chosen," Thor said. "You are the rightful daughter of Asgard. This is not some arbitrary offer, you _are_ our sister, and your life is in grave danger."

"Yeah, let's focus on this 'grave danger' part. I may not believe any of this, but I would kind of like to know who is planning on killing me in my sleep," Ria said. Whether she believed it or not did not matter. What was important was that if someone believed she was this Anika, they would come after her. She didn't think they would just go away if she showed them her driver's license and social security number.

"They will not harm you," Thor assured somewhat forcefully. "We will make sure of this."

"Who is _'they'_," Ria asked in exasperation. She wanted to know about the man who had taken her through the rabbit hole like he was her own personal, bloodthirsty white rabbit.

"His name is Tyr," Loki supplied. He knew exactly what her main concern was. It was most likely unsettling, to have someone personally know everything about you and then attempt to kill you. "He was a sorcerer on Asgard who fell to his own greed. Now he is plotting to corrupt the earth with fire and take it for himself. Asgard has proven too hard of a conquest for him." Loki did not add it, but he speculated that Tyr had done something more, that he was directly responsible for Anika's disappearance.

"Uh huh. And so now he's after me. Why, if I may ask," Ria said.

"He means to attack the royal family of Asgard as a last means for revenge. He strikes at you because you are the weakest-," Thor said.

"Excuse you," Ria asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn't particularly like being referred to as weak. She was not by any means, and had proven that fact on several occasions. Just because she was being compared to freaking _gods_ she was considered 'weak'. It annoyed her.

"What he means to say," Loki interjected with a glare directed at Thor, "is that it is a prudent battle plan to attack where he thinks he has an advantage. If he had hidden information about you it could be played to his strengths, therefore you will be used as a disadvantage to us."

Thor could be blatantly simple-minded sometimes. Leave it to him to call others weak. By all means, either of the two could take the girl with little resistance, but that was not a fact that should be pointed out openly. If they were going to convince her, belittling her would not help.

Ria opened her mouth to reply but paused, sitting up and staring at the door with her head cocked to the side. She had a bad feeling. She had felt like this several times, and each time whatever she had predicted as irony would follow through. She hoped this would not be one of those times.

Loki caught her sudden interest in the door and glanced at it himself. "What is it?"

"I don't know, I just have an odd feeling…," Ria trailed off. "It's probably nothing." She shook her head as she looked back to find Loki staring at her intently.

"It's just, I feel like we're about to have company, and definitely not the invited kind," Ria said. She didn't want to admit it, but Loki's stare had brought it out of her.

Loki cursed and exchanged a glance with Thor. He knew that the girl probably had some sort of gift of second sight, like so many in the family. Whatever she saw would be true.

"Hide yourself upstairs," Thor commanded her.

He had not used this tone of voice on her before, and it was oddly scary. She did not feel any need to argue with him, and instead picked up her taser, phone, and pepper spray and hurried up the staircase to her bedroom, where she locked the door and hid in a corner with her taser trained on the door way.

She felt like a storm was coming, and not because of the clouds that quickly gathered outside her window.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm really, really, really sorry. I didn't mean to take so long on this update, but things have gotten a little hectic lately. I have to read a chapter for every subject I'm taking (4 subjects, an average of 30 pages a chapter, you do the math) every week, so I have to adjust to the new schedule. Plus there's been some *ahem* tumblr drama. Mark my words, tumblr is a soul crushing beast that sucks away our time. On a side note, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I was a tad scatterbrained when I wrote it, but I think it turned out like I wanted it to. Oh, and one more thing: as I hope all of you have figured out by now Ria is a nickname for Adrianna. I didn't even think about clarifying that, sorry. I thought it was a common nickname. Oh well. Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, sadly not even the DVD yet.**

Ria sat in the back corner of her room, away from all of the windows, watching the sudden thunderstorm rage on outside from her big bay window while focusing on her door. This was insane. She had absolutely no clue what was going on, but the _god of thunder_ was outside her house, with his _trickster god of a brother_ and they were defending her from some evil villain. She decided that after the immediate danger was over, she was going to check the stove for a gas leak.

There was a thump from the corner, and Ria jumped as she spun around and aimed the taser. It was only Hades, the little black cat they kept in the house with them. She let out a shaky breath as she put a hand to her chest. Hades ambled over and started rubbing up against her legs and meowing at her, loudly. He was probably hungry; he was a very vocal cat.

"Hades, be quiet, you little freak," Ria hissed at him. She wasn't specifically told to, but she had a feeling now was one of those times where you were supposed to be quiet. She found a cat toy in her room and threw it on her bed for him to play with.

Where had today gone wrong? All of a sudden she was trapped in some sort of make believe story. Ria remembered seeing the first Iron Man in movie theaters with her friends, and now she had been magically transported to meet him. Not Robert Downey Jr., but the original Iron Man. The one that's a fictional character, you know, the kind that _doesn't exist_. She had seen them all, all of the Avengers…and now they were in her house. This was some kind of crazy insane daydream, right?

Hades hissed sharply from her bed, and out of reflex Ria spun around with her taser, to see the image of a man appearing next to her. She nearly screamed and fumbled to raise her taser gun, but a hand clamped around her wrist. Good thing too, as it happened to be Loki.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "What exactly were you planning on doing had I been unfriendly," he asked as he let go of her wrist.

_Like you're friendly now,_ Ria thought. She just inhaled through her nose. She was getting a headache somewhere near her left eyebrow, and it was starting to annoy her. Hades hissed from his seat on her bed yet again, and Loki eyed the creature warily.

Ria looked between the cat and the sorcerer. She knew Hades thought he was an intruder, especially in her room, but she was not about to correct him. As far as she was concerned, Loki wasn't really much welcome here either. There was a huge crash of thunder outside and Ria looked out of her window once again.

"Should I be concerned," Ria trailed off. It was just a tad unnerving, knowing what was going on outside.

"I wouldn't be," Loki replied with a bored expression. "He seems to be enjoying himself." He started moving around the room and looking at the various pictures and books thrown about her room, the different things scattered across her desk. It wasn't exactly messy, because she couldn't stand when her room was cluttered, but she still felt nervous about him looking through her things. You could tell a lot about a person by what you find in their room, and she didn't really like this random person going through all of her personal things.

They both heard footsteps out on the stairs, and Loki quickly turned to the door and put himself between it and Ria. The door burst open, and Loki relaxed as Thor entered the room. Ria was going to develop a heart condition if all of this stress and shock kept up with people suddenly appearing.

"They have been taken care of," Thor announced. Ria decided she really didn't want any sort of clarification there. Thor seemed nice enough from what she could remember from the movies, which she hardly counted as a reliable source, and from when they had been talking, but it was completely different to think of him as a super capable warrior that could probably kill her in one blow. Not that he would, because apparently he thought she was his sister.

Her musing was interrupted by Loki grabbing her upper arm. Before she could say anything she was once again pulled through a blue light, and the too-familiar sensation of her feet leaving the ground took over. She closed her eyes out of instinct, and only opened them after she knew there was solid ground beneath her.

Ria wasted no time in pulling her arm out of Loki's grasp. "Just so we're clear, this is kidnapping," she stated. She was getting a little tired of falling down the rabbit hole by now.

"But we are your brothers," Thor interjected.

"As much as I would love to see a court of law where _that _holds up-," Ria started.

"Your life was in danger! We just saved you," Loki said.

"That's nice and all, but you all have the wrong person. I'm not even adopted," she said.

"You refuse to listen! You are of Asgard, a daughter of Odin. No amount of childish bickering-," Loki started.

"Childish bickering," Ria repeated with raised eyebrows. "Well, here's a thought for you: there are plenty of other kidnapping victims in the sea. Maybe you can find someone that actually wants to be here, who acts less 'childish'. Now take me home."

A look passed over Loki's face, too quickly for Ria define it, before he sat down on the couch of the Avengers Tower's living room with a small smile on his face. "Take yourself."

Ria narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, I'll just go outside and find a bus. Shouldn't be too hard."

"You can open your own portal if you wish. You did before," Loki said from his seat on the couch. Thor was still standing near her, and she could see a few members of the Avengers around the room, or else in nearby parts of the tower watching without much subtlety.

"I don't use magic," she said slowly with lots of emphasis, speaking to him like a teacher explaining to a kindergartener. "I'm a normal person. As in, _normal_."

"I wonder how you explain to yourself the magic you used earlier," Loki mused with a larger smile.

"Does being a jerk require a lot of effort for you, or were you just born that way," Ria asked.

"You could call it a talent," Loki said.

"Good, I would hate to see such an enormous waste of energy," Ria said evenly.

"Stop this, both of you," Thor said. He was getting tired of all of this endless fighting between the two. "Regardless of who you claim to be, you are still in danger. It would be foolish for you to go back now."

Ria sighed as she thought it over. True, if someone were to attack her right now she was pretty much defenseless without some form of help. To leave now meant that she was open for kidnapping again, but from a less friendly group. If she was going to be held against her will, it might as well be here.

"Fine," she announced as she glanced between Thor and Loki. "I'll stay. I don't believe any of this nonsense still, but if someone is after me this is pretty much my only choice." She felt like she was being bitchy, but she couldn't seem to care too much about it. As long as she was angry about all of it, she didn't have to consider it a possibility. For now, she was stuck there until this mess was over.

Thor clasped her shoulder with one of his giant hands. Honestly, how could he think they were related? She was so short compared to him. "Then it is settled. You shall stay here."

As if on cue, a strawberry blonde woman walked into the room and shook hands with Ria. "This is Pepper Potts," Thor introduced. "Pepper, this is my sister, Anika."

"It's wonderful to meet you," Pepper stated kindly.

"Likewise," Ria said with a smile. "But my name is Adrianna, or Ria."

"All right, Ria. Let me show you to your room here," she replied as she ushered her out of the room. There wasn't much to do when they got there, seeing as how Ria didn't have any sort of luggage or anything; someone hadn't given her any warning. Pepper just told her not to worry about it.

The tour was amazing, all things considered. It was kind of odd to know that you were _there_, not on some movie set, but really at the Avengers Tower. And the person leading you around was the one and only Pepper Potts. It was an experience she would never forget.

She noticed that the halls seemed sort of empty. Was it just her, or was there no one else around? I mean, she expected to at least run into _someone. _She supposed it was simply her imagination; after all, they were in a huge building.

As the tour was finished they reentered the penthouse living room, which was apparently the main place for people to gather. Two women were sitting on the couch, watching the Discovery channel cover some event about solar systems. They looked up when Pepper and Ria entered.

"Hi, you must be Anika. I'm Jane," one said as she jumped up to shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you." Ria guessed a lot of Jane's excitement had something to do with Thor's excitement, and she wondered how exactly Thor had summed up the situation to her.

"My name is Ria," she replied as nicely as she could manage. "It's nice to meet you."

Darcy was quickly introduced as well, and they started a short discussion.

"So, if you come from an alternate dimension, how similar is it to ours? Do you have related astral configurations," Jane asked.

"Um…I'm a twenty year old history major," Ria replied after a second. "If I can walk outside at night and locate the big dipper I give myself a pat on the back."

She heard an amused chuckle behind her and turned around to see Loki walking into the room. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the various reactions as Pepper remained calm while Jane fumbled to put an easy appearance on. Darcy didn't even bother to hide her dislike as she stiffened.

Thor followed him into the room with a wide grin and put an arm around Jane. "I am glad to see everyone together and talking."

Ria was just about to point out that this "happy moment" was caused by a delusional psychopath trying to kill her, but her phone started to ring. Everyone looked around for the sound, and Ria herself was surprised. She had a signal in an alternate dimension? Go Sprint.

"Excuse me," she announced to the group as she exited the room and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Ria, where are you," Cassie asked. She did not sound happy. How was she supposed to explain this?

"Last minute emergency. I had to go see my brother, Matt," she tacked on when she realized what it sounded like. They weren't really her brothers, so it shouldn't matter, but there was a certain irony in her lie. Plus, she knew Cassie would fall for this one.

"Ugh, what has Matt gotten himself into now," Cassie complained. She accepted the defeat; when Matt was involved, Ria would not argue.

"Um…nothing that bad this time, but I'm going to have to explain later," Ria said.

"Later, as in 'tonight' later," Cassie asked.

"Uh…," Ria stalled. How long was this going to take any way? "It might be a few days, actually."

"This doesn't sound good, Ria," Cassie replied. "What's going on?"

"Look, I really can't talk right now, but I promise it's not that bad. There's been far worse before," Ria said.

"Fine," Cassie said, "but I demand a full explanation. Good bye. Be careful. I love you. Jen loves you as well. Be safe. Don't-,"

"Yes, I get the point. Love you two as well. See you soon," Ria said as she hung up the phone. She saw Loki staring at her from the doorway; he must have followed her there.

"Everything alright," he asked with a concerned expression. Ria wondered what was really going on in his head, but it probably wasn't concern for her. After all, wasn't he supposed to be the 'bad guy"? Not that she particularly cared, but concern didn't seem to be his forte. Either way, she wasn't going to let her accusations show.

"Fantastic," she responded with a smile, but in a sarcastic tone. She figured it was as good of a way as any to sum up her day.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much to thanksamillion for the amazing cover photos for all of my stories. I'm serious guys, have you checked them out? She does amazing work, and she already made me covers for the stories I'm planning on writing. Once again, you are AMAZING! The poem in this chapter is one that I wrote myself, and I just had to add it. I felt that it was something that really added to the story, and really helped the scene. Thank you so much to all of my followers, and I hope you can all forgive me for not updating as regularly as I used to because…reasons. Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, but…nope, nope that's pretty much it.**

"Can I get you a drink," Pepper asked as they all sat down in the living room. 'All' consisted of Ria, Pepper, Loki, Thor, Jane, Steve, and Tony….it was a very crowded room.

"Water, please," Ria said. She felt awkward sitting there, with people 'covertly' glancing at her. She was beginning to wish her phone would ring again, or maybe a meteor would fall from the sky and crush her. You know, just a distraction of some sorts.

"I'll get it," Tony said as he jumped off the couch and went into the kitchen. "I needed a drink anyway." Ria was immediately suspicious. When had Iron Man ever offered to do something nice for others?

The awkward conversation continued in his absence, which was one of those conversations where she almost wished Natasha Romanoff was there so that she could steal her gun and put herself out of her misery. Thor had made the mistake of calling her "little sister", which was not that bad considering he almost used the term "baby sister" shortly before, but still. She glared at him from her chair.

Tony returned into the room, carrying a soda…and a sippy cup. You know, the kind toddlers use. Ria pressed her lips together and accepted the cup with an irritated smile. Neither of the Asgardians understood the joke, and Jane just tried to keep a straight face. Pepper looked like she was about to yell at Tony.

"You know, I would be mad at this, but I'm actually wondering why you even have a sippy cup," Ria asked as she took off the lid.

There was a moment's pause. "Tony drinks alcohol out of them," Pepper responded with an evil smile. _Note to self: do not get on Pepper's bad side,_ Ria thought.

"That explains quite a bit," Ria said as she took a sip. The conversation went back to being awkward for several minutes, and Ria mostly stayed quiet. She was really only vocal with people she was used to being around, and wasn't too fond of crowds. She contented herself with sitting in her chair and watching the conversation go round and round.

"You know," Tony said to Ria, "for an Asgardian, you're not that annoying."

"Why, what ever do you mean," Ria asked in a calm voice.

"Oh, no big, booming voice, no trying to threaten anyone, normal speech pattern, things like that," he said offhand. She saw Loki visibly take offense, while Thor just sighed. She assumed he was used to this from Tony.

"Well, I am an American," Ria said. "Sorry to disappoint you. Although, I must have some things in common, I imagine. People always have one or two things in common."

Tony let the topic drop as he continued talking to Jane about something….science-y. Ria waited for a few moments and tried to keep the smile off of her face as she took another drink, trying to empty it.

"This drink," she said in a completely even voice, "I like it."

"Oh no," Jane said as she was hit by the realization.

"Another," Ria announced as she threw the cup on the floor. Thankfully, all that remained was an ounce or so, and it was water. To Ria's credit, she kept her face completely straight, even when Jane started to laugh with Pepper, and Thor realized it was a comment from him.

"What," she asked innocently.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

It was now approximately two in the morning. Everyone else was in bed. Ria had gone to bed too, hours ago, but sleep was always hard to find for her. Instead, she sat up, awake. She was just going to sit in her room, but it was boring. That was when she remembered seeing a notebook in the living room. Surely she could borrow a few pages, right?

Ria now sat curled up on the sofa, drawing in the notebook. She was actually illustrating a poem that she had written a while ago, when things were about as messed up as they were now.

_To What Never Was_

_To tales untold, to tears unshed/ To what could have been/ To "I love you"s never said/ If you only let me in_

_It's too late to fix the past/ The present is already here/ The future changes fast/ And already it draws near_

_To loves, and losses, and all those in between/ To promises made and broken/ And crossed fingers never seen/ To all those words never spoken_

_Death has greeted you with arms out wide/ And folded you in his embrace/ To take you where you now reside/ Before you ever saw my face_

_To the turmoil inside/ To the secrets you never knew/ To all the things we choose to hide/ To the memories I have left of you_

_The moon still rises, the stars still shine/ The wind rushes onward, the trees still grow/ No one knows these thoughts of mine/ As you become somebody that I used to know_

_To the unknown future, and the distant past/ To what could have been/ To the promises that never last/ To what never was, and never will again_

At the moment she was drawing a row boat, floating out to sea with a lantern on it. She was so absorbed in her work that she failed to notice when someone else entered the room until they were sitting next to her on the couch. She quickly put down her pencil and tried to flip the page to a blank one, which was a knee-jerk reaction. She just didn't like other people looking at her things, especially her drawings.

"Oh, please don't stop on my account," Loki said. Oddly enough, his words felt sincere. Ria wasn't quite sure why, but she knew he was being honest with her. "May I," he asked as he held out his hand.

Ria instantly felt guilty about trying to hide her drawings. She thought about explaining, but settled for just handing him the notebook. He opened it to the page and read the poem quietly along with the sad little boat.

"It's beautiful," he said as he passed it back to her.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she stared down at the boat. "I'm sorry; I just don't like showing my work to others much."

"Why? You should be proud," he responded.

"I suppose," Ria said quietly. "It's just, I don't know. It has a lot to do with the tone I guess."

"I see," he said quietly. "What happened?"

Ria went back to shading around the boat before she responded. "It was about several things. Mostly wasted opportunities. Some of the stanzas had a little to do with people I never got the chance to know, but a lot of it was about my brother, Matt. He….made some bad decisions in life, and he is really paying for them now."

Loki nodded thoughtfully and Ria continued onward. "He was going to be an artist. The things he paints are so beautiful, every time I see the one in my room I have to pause. It's breathtaking, but he was told that it's not a practical career, that he should give up. He entered a really bad time in his life then where things weren't going too well, so he did give up. But not just painting, he gave up on everything. He didn't have a lot of self esteem, and it really got to him."

"At the same time I was in the advanced classes, getting good grades, making my way into psychology. He thought that just because of that people would like me more, that I was the favorite child of the family. I wish that he would have just said something. I would have told him, he's my favorite," she said while blankly staring at the page.

"He got depressed," she said. "That was when he lashed out. He started going to these wild parties, binge drinking, stealing from everyone. He took my mom's and my jewelry and pawned it for cash. It was like he was a completely different person, and I never saw it coming. I feel like it was my fault sometimes, that I could have been there for him and that he didn't trust me enough to tell me how he felt."

"It's just…it's not fair. Matt has always been an amazing person, but he let all of this stuff drag him down. I think the worst part was when he lost a lot of his friends. People really need others. If you have no one to stand with you, why stand," Ria questioned.

Loki sat silent the whole time, absorbing her words. He had a polite concerned look on his face, but he felt so much more on the inside. It sounded so similar… "I understand, but you do realize that this occurred through no fault of your own, correct?"

"Sometimes I do, but then there are other times, where I remember my bracelet going missing, or him sneaking in late and me covering for him, and I wonder how I was so blind, why I didn't see the problem before it was too late, why I couldn't have been there-," Ria said.

"You didn't see because he didn't want you to," Loki cut in. He couldn't stand to hear her continue. Without thinking, he put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "When one has something they wish to hide…it can be very hard to find."

"I guess," she replied.

"No, you know," he corrected.

Ria half smiled as she finished her shading in silence. After a few moments she said, "It's not that I have anything against you or Thor, please understand that. I have this amazing family that I grew up with, and friends too, and all of these people that I love, that love me. I may have my own issues with them, like with Matt, but we love each other. The thought that someone is trying to kill me right now doesn't scare me at all. It's the thought that I may have leave behind everyone I love."

Loki thought over her words carefully, knowing he had a difficult decision to make. He would like nothing more than to return her to Asgard, but at the same time he knew how she felt. He could never forget that he was adopted, and not a true Asgardian. Still, he would prefer to stay there where he was raised than return to the barren wastes of Jotunheim. The thought of giving up everything he knew for some great unknown was daunting.

"How long have you been lurking in the shadows," Ria asked without looking up. Loki paused at her words. Then Thor emerged from the doorway and stepped into the minimal light of the dimmed room.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to intrude," Thor apologized.

"How long were you there," Ria asked again without any sort of antagonistic tone.

"In truth, I arrived not long after Loki," he replied.

"Good. Then I don't have to repeat anything. I hate repeating things," she said.

Thor came and took a seat on the other side of the couch. She was now squished between the two Asgardians. The sudden thought struck her that there were quite a few girls that would love to be where she was now…wait a second. A terrible thought struck her mind as she wondered if she had ever been one of those girls. She agreed that all of the Avengers were very attractive but now that they could be related…oh, oh God, ew. Nope, she was a diehard Steve fan, and always would be. There was no way…

The sudden change in thought processes from being serious to a random awkward thought made her laugh. It was the first genuine laugh either of them had heard from her, and Loki looked at her quizzically.

"What are you laughing about," he asked.

"Absolutely nothing," Ria replied while still laughing and shaking her head. She was going to take this one to the grave with her.

"Oh, come now," Loki frowned.

"Nope. Never gonna tell," Ria said. Since she was a woman, she was born with the capability to be stubborn enough to follow through with it too.

Thor gave her an amused look. "You know, we could just _force_ the truth out of you."

"What is this? A noble prince threatening an innocent young lady? That's not very chivalrous of you," Ria mocked.

"I have never claimed to be chivalrous, and I do not believe anyone has called you innocent," Thor said. Oh no, she already had one big brother, she knew what was going to happen here.

"Yes, but I believe there is one thing you are forgetting," Ria responded as she twirled her pencil around in her fingers.

"And what would that be," Loki asked.

Without preamble, Ria shot up off the couch in a burst of speed and ran into the kitchen to duck behind the counter. "I've had experience being the little sister," she explained.

"Yes, but I have always been the eldest," Thor replied as he followed her. Ria thought she could see Loki roll his eyes. Thankfully, Loki had stayed seated on the couch, or else Ria wouldn't stand a chance. It was iffy enough now, but two on one would crush her.

Loki watched from his seat on the couch, amused. They raced around the counter, Ria careful that she always stayed on the opposite end of him and never misjudged a step, both laughing all the while. Then he noticed how she got a far-away look in her eyes, how she failed to notice Thor moving in as she stopped laughing.

"Wait," Loki called out to Thor, who was oblivious. He went up to Ria and placed a hand on either shoulder. "What is it," he asked her.

"I don't know," she replied as she focused back on what was happening around her. "I just had another bad feeling, I guess. I think something is going to happen soon." She felt claustrophobic; Ria needed air.

She walked away from Loki and Thor and looked out of the big windows to the city below, trying to focus on breathing. "I think…I think someone is coming, but I don't know how, and I'm not certain when," she continued as she turned around to face them, as they were still standing in the kitchen. Thor had reflexively reached for Mjolnir, and Loki looked like he was about to reach for his daggers. Ria wasn't sure that was strictly necessary, after all they were in the Avengers Tower, and it didn't mean it was happening right now-

Ria felt an arm grip her from behind and pull her back as she gasped. She felt cold metal press against her throat as she was pushed against someone behind her. Ria thought her head reached just about to the top of his chin. She wished that those random warning flashes could be just a tad more specific.

"Let her go," Thor roared. There was no way he was not heard throughout the entire tower.

Ria closed her eyes and took a deep breath against the steel blade resting on her throat.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so incredibly sorry everyone! I have brought shame upon my family and dishonored myself and I hope that you can all forgive me. It is completely unacceptable how long it took to write this chapter, but I had some other things going on and a severe case of writer's block. That being said, I don't like to post things unless I like them. Well…this chapter is a little crack. So, sorry about that. But hey, I did say it was humor. Hope you all think this is as funny as I do, because…yeah. Thank you to everyone!**

Ria took a few steadying breaths to clear her head. What was it she had done earlier, to that man? She focused her thoughts and tried to pretend that she knew what she was doing. It was awkward for her. She settled for imagining sending out invisible waves to the man behind her, imagining them being pain. A moment later there was a scream as the man hit the floor.

Backing away from the crumpled man on the floor, Ria ran and stood behind Loki, unaware that she was physically clinging to him as she peered out behind him. Thor had stridden forward with his hammer and….well, the details weren't necessary. The man was now unconscious, and Thor hauled him to his feet. Loki remained where he was standing, aware of Ria hiding behind him while he looked around for any more intruders.

She could hear people approaching, and turned to see most of the Avengers stumbling in, weapons drawn, still in the clothes they slept in.

"Do you think that we could, maybe, get me a weapon," Ria said. "You know, a knife, a gun…. a baseball bat. I'll take anything." She was feeling a little out of sorts. No one paid her any attention as they focused on the unconscious man. He was quickly led away to the elevator, presumably to a holding cell somewhere.

Ria remembered herself and stepped away from Loki. She tried looking down at herself but was stopped by a pain in her neck. When the man fell, his knife must have slipped. It didn't seem too bad, just enough to have drawn a bit of blood. She lowered her fingers from her neck and saw a bit of blood.

"Here, let me take a look at that," Dr. Banner said as he walked over. Ria sighed and raised her head while he inspected the cut. "You might need a few stitches," he said as he let go of her chin.

"That's absurd," Loki cut in. "Why would you need to stitch that? I can heal it easily," he said as he brushed the doctor aside and raised Ria's chin with his hand to get a better look. Sadly, even from the angle he held her head she could look into his face, and he was tilting his head to try to see.

"Okay, I get it. I'm short," Ria said as she climbed up onto a chair and crossed her arms. Loki pressed his lips together to keep the smile off of his face as he performed a quick spell to heal her.

Ria felt an odd tingling on her skin, an itchy feeling that she resisted the urge to scratch at. After a few moments it stopped and Loki took a step back.

"Um, thanks," Ria said awkwardly. "You know what, I am suddenly incredibly tired. I think I'm going to head off to bed. Good night everyone." With that, she quickly exited the room.

She was feeling really awkward with everyone there, and didn't want to stick around. Her room seemed like the best place to be at the moment. Ria quickly shut her door and locked it. Not like it would do that much, knowing who lived here and the AI installed throughout the house. Still, it was nice to settle beneath the sheets in the dark room…until someone started knocking on her door. Ria stared up at her ceiling in the dark, and eventually they went away. She could deal with it in the morning.

_Ria was running. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn't escape the feeling. The fear that choked her, the desperate feeling that she needed to be somewhere. There was smoke surrounding her and she was coughing on it as it started to slowly suffocate her. Her hands kept reaching in front of her, trying to find something solid in the haze. Her palm connected with smooth stone as she found an old wall with vines crawling up it haphazardly. _

_In the distance she heard a dull clatter of metal hitting the ground. The sound fed her fear and pushed her onward, away from the noise. She turned left, right, kept going straight, lost in the smoke with the occasional ruined wall popping up. The noise grew into a roar muffled by the smoke until it sounded like a great battle all around her. There was no escape. She was in the center. She twisted and turned frantically, desperate to see a familiar face, someone to save her from the smoke. She felt trapped as the poisonous haze slithered over her bare skin, wrapped around her throat, forced its way into her lungs. The scream died on her lips._

Ria awoke with a start. Her pulse was racing as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She hadn't had a nightmare in forever, but guessed it was probably from the stress. After staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes she willed herself to get up and put on some new clothes Pepper had picked up for her.

She was shutting the door behind her when she turned around and saw Steve in the hallway. "Oh, hi," she said in an awkward greeting. "How are you today, Captain Rogers?" _Yep, couldn't be more awkward if I tried_, she thought.

"Call me Steve," he said with a smile. "And I'm great. How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied. Then she remembered she was trapped in an alternate dimension, told that her life was a lie, people were trying to kill her, and she had a terrible nightmare. "I'm fine."

"I can see how it would be a little…hard, trying to sort through all of this," Steve said after a moment. That's when it hit Ria, of course Steve would know. He was a man out of time, and she was a girl out of place. Neither of them really belonged, but now they had to make the best of it.

"I suppose it is," Ria said. "I don't know, everything is just hectic right now and I feel like I'm in Alice and Wonderland. I got sent to this alternate universe where I don't know anyone and its one big mess."

"Well, you have your family," Steve said. "And you have all of the team as well. I'll be here, if you need me."

"Thanks, Steve," she replied, truly touched. Before she could change her mind she gave him a quick hug, which he returned a second late. "I'm going to go head upstairs now, I'll see you around."

With that she left. Ria supposed she could have prolonged the conversation with her favorite super hero, but all she could think of was how badly she could trip over her words. She decided to leave while it was still a win. As the elevator doors closed she still saw Steve walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. That's when it hit her: his room wasn't even on this floor.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx

Loki stepped out of his room next door. "What exactly do you think you are doing, mortal," he asked as he eyed Steve with disapproval.

"I'm not doing anything, Loki," Steve said with a look that was almost a glare. "But maybe I should ask what _you're_ doing. Why the sudden change in heart? Why is it that all of a sudden you're a team player?"

Loki gave him a condescending glare before answering, "I have no inclination to tell you. Do not take me for a fool, what is it that you really wish to ask?"

"I don't trust you, and I don't trust you with her," Steve said evenly.

"I do not care for you trust, and as for my sister, this is a family matter. Your time would be better spent elsewhere," Loki said.

"Just watch yourself," Steve said as he took the elevator up.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx

Breakfast was…odd. It was like the time Ria was seven and went to Disney World and had a tea party with the princesses. The sudden mental image of everyone seated around the table dressed as Disney princesses caused Ria to smile and hold back a laugh. Steve noticed and gave her a questioning smile, but she just shook her head.

This exchange did not go unnoticed, particularly by Loki. He was getting rather irritated with the super soldier.

Ria laughed at a joke Tony made and her butter knife dropped to the floor. "Son of a bitch," she whispered.

"Excuse me," Loki questioned with raised eyebrows.

"What," Ria asked. This time she wasn't faking innocence.

"Young ladies do not swear," Thor said.

Ria actually felt her jaw drop open. "Are…are you kidding me right now?"

"I assure you that we do not 'kid'. You are not to use such foul language," Loki said.

She couldn't help the laughter that escaped. "It's funny, because I'm twenty years old and you can't tell me what to do. My parents tried that fight and they lost it, miserably."

"They were not true warriors, then," Thor said.

"Good luck with that. I can curse in several languages, it's going to be harder than you realize," Ria said. She knew it was a bad habit, but honestly, she didn't appreciate being told what to do. Plus they were acting like her parents, and that annoyed her.

"We have the All Speak," Loki said as if it were obvious. "I shall know no matter what language you speak in."

"Yo homes, that's cool an all, but I'mma keep doin' me over here and keep it for real, cause you ain't recognizin' my flag," she said with a straight face as she stared at Loki.

Tony had an absolute laughing fit and a few of the others seated at the table joined him in smiling and laughing, while the rest still looked uncomfortable about the battle of wills going on at the table.

"Was that even a language," Thor asked seriously, earning more laughter. "I recognize the words, but there is no context. I do not understand."

"Oh," Ria said, "this is going to be wonderful."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx 

After breakfast was over Ria found herself wandering about the tower until they were supposed to go to SHIELD headquarters. It wasn't what she was technically supposed to be doing, but she couldn't stand being surrounded by people just then. She was twenty; she had a job, went to college, lived in a house, admittedly with others but she did still have responsibilities for it, and was in fact a grown woman. She didn't work so hard to get where she was just to be treated like a child by…"family".

A buzzing in her pocket distracted her. "Hello," she said as she answered the phone.

"Hey," Matt said. "I'm just checking in. How are you?"

"Hey, Matt," she said with a smile. For some crazy insane reason he always cheered her up. "I'm fine. How are you?"

"Tired; just finished one of the longest shifts I've ever had. It was worth it I guess," he said. She could hear the sleepiness in his voice.

"How is everything else," she asked, trying to be casual. Sometimes she felt like the elder of the two.

"Just fine," he said. "Everything is cool."

"Oh, okay," Ria said. She wished he would say something more, or that she could at least not sound so needy.

"Hey, are you coming back into town this weekend," he asked.

"Um…I don't think so, Matt," Ria responded after a moment. "I've got a lot going on here right now, and I don't think I can go home this weekend."

"What do you mean by a lot going on," he asked. She could hear the concern in her voice; she really needed to be more careful with what she said.

"Nothing much, just a huge homework load," she said as cheery as she could manage. "And since when did you become the concerned, protective older brother?"

"Don't say that; you'll make me think I failed. Here I was trying to be the best big brother in the world-," he started. She could tell he was kidding. Mostly.

"Hey now, you are an amazing older brother. I love you," she said into the phone. Sentimentality wasn't really her thing so she could feel the awkwardness settling in, how her voice got thicker.

"Yeah. I wish things were different now," he sighed. "Wish I could have been there more."

"Stop that. You are my brother and I love you. You've always been there for me," Ria said.

"I know. I'm going to let you go now. Go do adult things. Pay your bills and do homework and…stuff," he said. "Talk to you later."

"Bye Matt," Ria said. "Love you." The phone clicked off and she took a deep breath as she held everything in.

Loki watched silently from out of sight before slipping away.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXx

Sometime later Ria found herself in the living room once again, waiting for them to leave for SHIELD headquarters. Both of her "brothers" were there, as well as Jane, Natasha, and Clint. She made sure they were all in there before her, or else she would not have taken a seat on the couch.

Ria sat in pointed silence, and played with her ring as she waited. She looked up as someone cleared their throat.

"Adrianna," Thor started uncertainly. She could tell it was just about killing him to use her actual name, even if he didn't use her nickname. "I would like to let you know that we are here for you at any time you need. You can come to us, to Loki and myself, with anything you need."

Ria blinked a few times as she processed this. It was such an odd thing to say suddenly. That, and she really didn't want to have one of these conversations, especially not in front of everyone else. Then she had a sudden thought.

"Do you mean anything," she asked, sounding hesitant while giving a sheepish glance to the remainder of the room. Jane gave her a reassuring smile while Natasha and Clint were trying to appear like they were talking to each other and not eavesdropping.

"Anything at all," Thor clarified. "You have but to speak it."

"Where do babies come from," Ria asked with a completely serious face. She could hear Clint spit up the soda he was taking a drink from, but she didn't even crack a smile. Thor's face had a bewildered look as he floundered to think of something to say. Jane looked so surprised Ria would have thought she just announced she was pregnant. Loki's reaction was the best. His face went through about five different emotions: shock, horror, blankness, suspicion, and then finally a smile.

Ria started laughing; she couldn't keep a straight face any more. "Don't worry. I already know. When a mommy and a daddy love each other a whole lot they go into the forest and kill a tiger and the scent of blood attracts a baby for them to take home and raise."

Now she could hear Natasha laughing with Clint. Loki just flicked a glance between both Thor and Ria. His face was completely impassive by now, and she couldn't tell what his thoughts were.

Thor started to speak and then stopped about four different times. He finally just covered his mouth with his hand. Jane looked like she wanted out of this conversation.

"There comes a point in every young lady's life….," Thor trailed off. "When you are older… A child is a great gift…. Jane, do you have any thoughts on this subject?"

"Uh, no. I think I'll just leave this one to you," she said.

Tony walked into the room, oblivious of the awkwardness in the room. "Come on, losers. We're going to SHIELD."


End file.
